It’s that time of year again when you simply cannot survive without lip balm. That chapstick is all that stands between you and cracked lips that painfully linger on till spring.

While you can simply walk into the local pharmacy and grab the first lip balm you see, where’s the fun in that? Wouldn’t you rather learn more about this essential product and pick the best one for your lips?

On this guide we review the best lip balms for men that you can find online. Upon researching and trying several products, we found the Jack Black to be the best lip balm for men followed by Vaseline‘s top notch lip salve that offers great value for money.

Without wasting any more time, here’s the guide to everything a well-kempt man needs to know about picking and using lip balm.

What is lip balm?

Lip balm, lip salve is basically a wax-like substance that you sab onto your lips to keep them protected from the elements. You might also heard the term chapstick which is actually a brand name rather than the product’s name.

The main feature of lip balm is to trap the moisture in and prevent cracks. It can also be used to fight cold sores, angular cheilitis, and stomatitis.

The objective of a lip balm is to mask the lips so that dryness doesn’t set in.

Cold climates and dry air tend to steal away the moisture from your whole body. Your skin might become dry and your lips will start to crack up if the mercury drops too low.

Lips are actually the first body parts to show any sign of dryness. This is because the layer of skin near the lips is thinner than the rest of the body. In addition, it’s the only part of the body that tends to be constantly wet.

History of lip balm

How did we get to that awesome invention anyway?

It wasn’t until two centuries ago when the first commercial balm was introduced to the market.

More specifically, Charles Browne Fleet is considered to be the first person to market lip balm, back in the 1880’s. He, in turn, is said to have been inspired by Lydia Maria Child’s use of earwax as an effective treatment for cracked lips.

Child included this home remedy in her famous book The American Frugal Housewife. Fleet decided to use a substitute for ear wax and manufacture his own product that quickly failed.

After years of trying to make the product work, Fleet eventually gave up and sold the rights for five dollars to Lynchburg resident Kip Martin. Martin repackaged the product and sold it in sticks that were encased in tubes. His reiteration and packaging quickly caught on and the product was a success. It helped Martin fund the Morton Manufacturing Company in the 1920’s.

The Martin Manufacturing company eventually sold the product to A.H. Robbins Co in 1963.

The company quickly introduced new flavours, such as petroleum jelly based chapsticks, Sunblock, and medicated lip balms.

The most popular lip balm is now called ‘chapstick’.

That brand was registered by the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare company in 2009. The company still manufacturers and sells millions of units of chapstick every year around the world.

Some even have SPFs, which means they can act as an effective sunscreen. Lip balms can have antibacterial and analgesics to prevent sore lips.

Is it necessary?

Now here’s the key question – is lip balm really needed? There’s a little bit of debate on this.

A ton of people have what’s called ‘lip balm addiction’. This means they literally apply lip balm every chance they get.

Lip balm can actually have negative effects if you apply it too often or live in a humid place with warm weather.

But that doesn’t mean it’s useless.

It’s pretty effective at blocking moisture in the lips when the air is cold and dry.

So, if you live in a place where the temperature falls below freezing, the humidity is low, and you can kick the habit of applying lip balm every few minutes, this is a great product to use. It’s useful as long as you know how to use it right.

Picking the Perfect Lip Balm

Lip products make up a market of nearly $1.6 billion annually. There’s a thousand different products with hundreds of different brands and ingredients.

Although there are some awesome products, some lip balms are actually bad for you.

Pay attention to the ingredients

For example, lip balms with added phenol can dry out your lips more than usual and lead to broken skin over time.

Camphor, alum, and menthol can all have that pleasant tingly feeling on your skin and lips, but you need to beware that these substances will enter your body as they stay on your lips throughout the day.

This is also the reason why you should probably stay away from lip balms that have added synthetic flavors or petroleum products.

Your best bet is to go with something that’s natural.

Pick a lip balm that has beeswax, shea butter, essential oils, or cocoa butter in the mix. Make sure the ingredients smell and taste great, since you’ll subconsciously be eating them.

That being said, I’m positive that it’s better to eat something that’s natural than synthetic.

Reputable brands are a great starting point

Even if you don’t realise it, you already know the most popular lip balm brand and it’s the chap stick from Pfizer. It’s the mainstream alternative for everyone.

But if you’re looking for the best lip balm for men you need to take into consideration a few things like ingredients, consistency and quality besides price.

Among the vast selection, you can choose one of the many lip balms offered by men’s grooming brands.

EOS, True North, Jack Black, and Malin + Goetz are all well known brands of lip balm. I’ve had the chance of trying all of these brands out and I was very happy with their products.

Stick or tin?

Even though this doesn’t affect the quality or price of the lip balm, you normally have to choose between a tube and round tin.

I like the tube best as you simply push the stick up and apply it on your lips. On the other hand, when the lip balm is in a tin, you’ll have to apply it with your hands.

If you don’t want to get messy, lip balm in a tube would be a good idea to go for.

Pay for value

The average lip balm can cost anywhere from $5 to $35, depending on the brand, ingredients, and shop you go to.

Natural lip balms for men tend to cost a bit more than other products. Natural ingredients are the ones that increase the cost and in many cases, it’s worth going natural.

The best lip balms for men to choose from

This is a thick lip balm stick that has tons of flavor while it won’t make you feel like you’re applying lip gloss.

The one I like best is grapefruit and sweet orange. It’s a natural and organic lip balm with some amazing organic ingredients such as jojoba oil – a key ingredient found in the best beard oils, hemp seed and shea butter – same found in beard balms and beard waxes.

Although it’s not the cheapest lip balm for men, it’s definitely one to consider if you’d like to try a natural product.

Everyman Jack is a great brand and I particularly like their body wash. This lip balm is also great.

This one is a sleek and slim stick with added SPF 15, which means it protects against the sun.

I like the fact that it has shea butter and tons of aloe, which are both amazing natural moisturizers. Although it won’t be the best lip balm a man can get but it’s definitely a great one especially if you get the twin pack which offers great value for money.

Another great brand that believes in natural products and cruelty-free manufacturing. So far I’ve used several products from Jack Black including their shaving cream, pomade and this lip balm.

When it comes to this lip balm, it contains natural ingredients while it acts as a sunscreen for your lips. There’s also added mint to make this lip balm a lot more refreshing and better tasting.

Price wise, this isn’t among the cheapest but it surely is among the top notch lip balms for men. Besides the excellent moisturisation, this lip balm has one of the highest sunscreen protection of SP25.

If you ask me, I haven’t got any product from Jack Black that left me unsatisfied and the same goes for this lip balm.

For all the above, I feel that the Jack Black is the best lip balm for men you can get as it combines excellent ingredients, duration and sunscreen protection paired with excellent flavor – just in case this is something you consider important.

Tom Ford is one of those truly stylish brands that I really admire. They’ve managed to put out some excellent products for men over the years and stayed true to the brand, but the prices have always struck me as over-the-top.

This lip balm is no exception.

It’s a 0.34 ounce tube of lip balm with great ingredients priced at around five times the price of other lip balms for men!

Yup, you could buy at least five other lip balms for that price and still have change to spare.

Despite the added vitamins, the organic ingredients, and the delicious butters in this, I wouldn’t recommend this lip balm unless the price tag isn’t a problem for you.

Is this the best lip salve you can get? If you’re searching a product with good value for money, you might want to keep on reading.

If you’re a man, MenScience sounds like a name you can trust. I haven’t tried any other of their products besides this lip balm.

The particular lip balm is no different than anything else on this list and the price is slightly higher than some that offer greater value such as all natural ingredients and better smell – although scent is something subjective.

Overall, it’s a decent product and you won’t regret getting it but you can also look for something else that is either cheaper for the same value or at the same price with more premium ingredients.

Here’s a great branded lip balm you can get cheaper than almost anything else.

The Vaseline lip balm is based on petroleum jelly – as being the first company that included it in their formula, and the results are amazing. It’s really effective throughout the day and tends to moisturize pretty well.

Vaseline always manages to package great quality with reasonable prices. And this one is no different.

It’s a great value for money lip balm for men and if you’re short on cash, keep it in mind. This Vaseline lip balm is probably the top lip balm for the price.

Hurraw! was a lip balm that I tried for the sake of this review and didn’t disappoint me.

It’s a 15 ounce tube of lip balm that’s priced a bit lower than many other lip balms reviewed here which makes it a great buy by any standards. I also like the design of the stick and the way you push the balm out.

I like the flavor and the way the lip balm feels against the skin. It’s a delicious mix that fades into the background and gets absorbed easily. Plus, if you buy two instead of one you get the pack for a much lower price

L’Occitane usually does some of the most luxurious men’s and women’s grooming products on the market. I’m a proud owner of their limited edition of Plisson shaving brush and I’ve also tried several shaving products in the past.

This lip balm delivers the same level of quality you would expect from the particular brand. Although the price isn’t the best one you can get out there for a 0.4 ounce stick.

Yes the quality is one that you would expect from such great company but in all honesty, I wouldn’t buy it again as I would prefer an all natural lip balm like Burt’s Bees at a fraction of L’Occitane’s price.

Performance wise, it’s easy to apply and it stays on for hours if you fight the urge to lick your lips. The finish is not as matte as I would prefer it but in any case, it doesn’t look as glossy as a lipstick.

The Vanilla bean active lip balm has SPF 15 and is made of a mixture of coconut oil, beeswax, and yerba mate. All natural ingredients make this the perfect little lip balm, but the price seals the deal.

Wet shaving enthusiast, ex-beard wearer and proud blogger of the Manliness Kit. Besides my interest in man grooming, I'm also a gadget geek (where most of my spare income goes), and passionate football (soccer) fan. I've got a beautiful girlfriend who puts up with me and my hobbies on daily basis and for that, I 'm very grateful.